Zinkernagel calls for responsible parents, good primary schools

Bhubaneswar, Nov 25 (UNI) Nobel laureate Prof Rolf M Zinkernagel today asserted that responsible parents and excellent primary schools were the need of the hour to educate the people.

Delivering the keynote address at the third annual convocation of the Kalinga Institute of Industrial Technology (KIIT) university here, Prof Zinkernagel, who had won the Nobel prize for medicine in 1996, said education in a broad sense included not only handing down of knowledge but also human behaviour, including family values, society, health issues, eating habits, hygiene and social welfare.

He said it was possible only if the country had good parents and primary schools.

Prof Zinkernagel, however, said it could not be guaranteed in the less developed countries as their remunerations were not most rewarding.

He said education in science and technology was the most important base for any community or country, adding that Switzerland, his home country, had advanced from a poor agricultural country to a developed country because of good education in science and technology.

Prof Zinkernagel stressed on the education of women and said if girls were educated the rest of the family would follow.

Prof Hans Hengartner, of the University Hospital, Zurich, and a close associate of Prof Zinkernagel, said short term translation of research into practical technology was as important as long term research.

Professor of the International Dispute Resolution, Nottingham Law School, UK, urged the KIIT law school authorities not to teach law as a technical science but encourage teaching of law as a distinct code of behaviour or conduct for young people.

KIIT Chancellor A Samanta appealed to the students to give their best for the welfare of the society at large and try to help the unprivileged, uncared and the distressed lot in the society.

KIIT Vice-Chancellor S C De Sarkar said in the convocation 1,206 students would be conferred with degrees, including 503 from B Tech, 142 from MCA, 456 from MBA, 34 from MBA Executive and 71 from M Tech.

At least 23 students would be presented with Gold and Silver medals for securing highest academic scores in their respective disciplines.

UNI